A blog about our thoughts, actions, and adventures as we seek to become modern homesteaders in Ontario.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Great Progress on Our Driveway!

This morning dawned cold. Very, very cold! Donna and Mummu had agreed to return to camp today to finish preparing it for my parents' visit at the end of the week - we're all really excited to host them!

I was enjoying a few moments of quiet reflection outdoors, when I suddenly heard the sound of engine brakes out on the road - could it be? Was today the day to get our driveway done?!

I quickly finished up my paperwork, and, exiting the outhouse, saw Donna running towards me to make sure I had made the same deduction as she had.

Yes indeed, everything was coming up for us today - the driver pointed out that he was working alone, so that was going to slow him down, but otherwise, he was going to get to it.

I returned to working on the outhouse, enjoying the sound of him dumping and grading the gravel throughout the morning.

Close to lunch, Donna and Mummu and Kenny returned from their preliminary trip to town, and so I helped Mummu out by coming over to her house and eating up three different meals worth of leftovers.

Then it was time for Donna and Mummu to make their trip to camp. As Donna went to remove Kenny's car seat from Mummu's car, she realized that the strange strap under his seat was not actually part of the car seat at all - it was a decent sized garter snake!

Mummu ordered me out to get it out of her car - something I was more than willing to do, although to be honest, I have never caught a garter snake before in my life, even though I was more than familiar with them.

As I reached out to snatch it up, it darted off the rear seat, under the passenger seat, and up, under the front dash!

I spelunked under the dash, but didn't come to much success. I'm sure that Mummu started talking about calling in a mechanic or exterminator, and I'm equally sure that her next move would have been to sell the car, but Grandpa arrived, and, with me rattling a stick around on the passenger side, he managed to grab the snake from the driver's side and tossed it into the yard.

Mummu breathed a sigh of relief, and she and Donna were off to camp.

Kenny and I hiked out to the driveway to check it out, and then took off into our bush to do some exploring.

Next time, I'll take my GPS. We got totally lost, and ended up having to bushwhack our way out by listening to the traffic on the road and finally sighting the hydro lines on the road. We both agreed that our adventure rated a shower at Mummu's house, so we returned there to get cleaned up and recharge our batteries (metaphorical, not literal - the solar panel does great for that job!) While there, Mummu and Mama returned, so we all went out to look over the driveway. Bit by bit it was getting longer - but as we feared, it didn't quite get completed today. We are reasonably assured that it will be done tomorrow though. I was told that tomorrow there are two guys available to work on it.

After a lovely supper of beans and bread - prepared entirely by Donna - I added two shelves to the outhouse, and opened up the back of our thunder box to accept a different pail. We're still working out our system of composting, but things are falling into place.

Kenny took time out today to also do a bit of exploring of the poplar I felled last week. For being considered a soft wood down south, it sure was hard compared to the pine and spruce I have become accustomed to working with! I nearly stalled the sawmill trying to push through it at the same pace I was use to taking. And I find I have to pre-drill all my screw holes, lest it split!

Grandpa also dropped off some really interesting rocks he had retrieved from a discarded fireplace. Kenny amused himself greatly using them as a natural xylophone, and then stacking them up to make Inukshuks of various sizes and configurations.

Gosh, we are all looking forward to finally being able to drive up onto our property for the first time - and tomorrow sure looks to be the day! I'll keep you all informed!